Caring for the mother, concentrating on the fetus: intravenous N-acetylcysteine in pregnancy.

ABSTRACT

Acetaminophen is one of the most common toxicities in pregnancy, thus providers should be aware of treatment options. We use a case presentation to demonstrate the successful use of a 20-hour protocol of intravenous N-acetylcysteine. A 26-year-old woman, gravid3para1102, at an estimated gestational age of 32 weeks 2 days presented with a reported ingestion of 9.75 g of acetaminophen 1.5 hours before arrival. The patient was treated with activated charcoal and intravenous N-acetylcysteine. After brief inpatient admission and management, the patient went on to deliver a full-term infant without further sequelae. Acetaminophen toxicity in pregnancy can be treated successfully with intravenous N-acetylcysteine if used in a timely manner with minimal adverse affects on the fetus and mother.